Review: Kyocera Rise for Sprint

The Rise could have been a home run for Kyocera. Just a few failures keep it from being a really great phone.

The network, battery, and calling performance alone make the Rise worth recommending, but add in a very good keyboard and it's even better. I wish the design of the device were a bit more appealing, but in this case function truly does overrule form. Stock Android 4.0 was a pleasant surprise, and should make plenty of people who don't want a Nexus device happy.

Performance, however, suffers a bit thanks to the older, slower processor. The display pales in comparison to even other mid-range handsets. Last, the camera is unforgivably bad.

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If you don't care all that much about the extras and really just want a solid smartphone that works well as a messaging device, the Rise is worth a look. It you want a smartphone that gets everything right, the Kyocera Rise doesn't fully rise to the occasion.